The National Museum of American History is engaged in a long-term project to create the first publicly accessible, annotated online edition of William Steinway's remarkable diary. This first installment of the website includes Edwin M. Good's complete transcription of all 2,500 pages of the Diary alongside high-resolution scans of each handwritten page.

To learn more about the Diary Project and how your contributions can support the essential addition of more than 30,000 interlinked annotations—one for every three words in the diary—please email steinwaydiaryinfo@si.edu.

view the diary

A Gateway to the 19th Century: The William Steinway Diary, 1861–1896

See information from an exhibition on William Steinway's growth from witness to participant in history, including Diary passages shedding light on the 1863 Civil War Draft Riots and William's role in the creation of the New York City subway and company town of Steinway (closed April 8, 2011).

William Steinway and His Family

View images of William Steinway and his family in the Image Gallery.

About the Diary Project

Discover the history of the William Steinway Diary Project—one of the Smithsonian's largest and longest-running volunteer efforts—and how the Diary came to reside at the museum.

Target Corporation Logo

The William Steinway Diary Web site has been made possible with lead funding from the Target Corporation and additional support from the late Henry Ziegler Steinway, the William and Mary McCormick Foundation, and other friends of the Diary Project.